The present invention relates to a device for wrapping hair with a cord, and more particularly, to a hand-held device that wraps hair with a cord as an adornment and which includes one or more stackable cartridges each containing a cord and each being constructed to mate either with the device or with another stackable cartridge.
Hair wrapping devices are known which wrap cords around locks of hair. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,759, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a simple, compact hair wrapper that is inexpensive to build and operate. The device includes a housing; a spindle operatively joined to the housing and defining a spindle bore for receiving cord and hair. The spindle also can have a detent for receiving the cord. The apparatus has a spool defining a spool bore through which the spindle is disposed and also the spool receives and dispenses the cord. Means for rotating the spindle relative to the housing and spool is provided such that the cord is dispensed from the spool through any detent (or cord tensions) and the spindle bore, hair is disposed in the spindle bore, and the spindle is rotated to wrap the hair with cord. The spindle is rotatably mounted within a hollow spool chamber which is partially defined by a spool cover, and the spool is disposed in the hollow spool chamber such that it is rotatable around the spindle to unwind cord as needed. The dispensing cord extends from the spool upwardly and then threaded through the spindle opening that also receives the locks of hair. Thus, the spindle and spool are all self-contained within the hollow spool chamber.
This design is constructed for placing one spool around the spindle and therefore only one spool is used at one time during a hair wrapping procedure. Many times, it is desirable to wrap more than one cord around the locks of hair since this permits multiple colored cords to be used. Accordingly, one of the deficiencies of this type of device is that only one spool can be used at one time and thus the hair wrapping patterns are limited and also because the one spool is stored underneath the spool cover, the switching of spools requires several steps to be performed.
What has heretofore not been available is a hair wrapper that is designed to receive one or more cartridges that are each configured to mate with either the main hair wrapping device or another cartridge so that the user can selectively decide the number of cords to use and/or the colors of the cords.
An apparatus for wrapping hair with a cord is provided and according to one embodiment includes a housing; a first gearing operatively coupled to the housing and one or more cartridges. The first gearing defines a main bore for receiving cord and hair and each cartridge includes second gearing and a rotatable spool for receiving and dispensing cord. The rotatable spool is driven by the second gearing which has a bore for receiving hair and cord from the spool and the second gearing has a guide (such as a slot) for receiving the cord and permitting the cord to be disposed through the bore of the second gearing.
The rotation of the first gearing causes cord to be dispensed through the guide and the bore of the second gearing and the main bore and hair is disposed through the main bore and the bore of the second gearing, and the rotation of the first gearing causes the cord to wrap around the hair.
In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided for wrapping hair with a cord. The apparatus includes a housing, a first gear operatively coupled to the housing such that the first gear is rotatably driven, and one or more cartridges that are operatively coupled to the first gear. The cartridge includes a drive spool that includes a drive gear formed as part thereof which is operatively coupled to the first gear so that the drive spool is driven by rotation of the first gear. The drive spool is coupled to a drive spindle that includes a drive spindle bore for receiving hair and cord from the spool, and the drive spindle has a slot for receiving the cord and permit the cord to be disposed through the drive spindle bore. The rotation of the drive spool causes cord to be dispensed through the guide and the drive spindle bore; hair is disposed through the drive spindle bore and the drive spool is rotated to wrap the hair with cord.